Low-cost nanomaterials for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Abstract

Hydrogen represents a clean and high gravimetric energy density chemical fuel that could potentially replace fossil fuels and natural gas in electricity generation and powering vehicles. Central to the success of hydrogen technology and economy, the sustainability, efficiency and cost of hydrogen generation are the major factors. Industrial hydrogen is currently obtained from steam methane reforming and water-gas shift reaction, however, this method still relays on fossil fuels. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient, low-cost, and scalable method to produce hydrogen in a sustainable manner. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting to produce hydrogen is one of most promising and sustainable approaches. The development of low-cost and efficient nanostructured photoelectrodes is the key to achieve this goal. In this chapter, we will give a brief background on PEC water splitting and review the recent advancement of developing low-cost nanostructured photoelectrodes.